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April 5, 2008, 12:20AM New clashes erupt in Tibetan region Reports indicate 8 die after Chinese police fire 'warning shots' at protesters By JILL DREW Washington Post TOOLS
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BEIJING — Hundreds of Tibetan monks and laypeople clashed with Chinese police Thursday night in a small town in western China after government officials attempted to force monks to denounce their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and arrested two monks who were found with his picture, according to reports from Tibetan activist groups. Nearly 800 people marched on government offices in Tonkhor, in Sichuan province, but were stopped by police who fired into the crowd, killing at least eight people, the reports said. The official New China News Agency called the incident a riot and said that "police were forced to fire warning shots to put down the violence." It did not report any deaths but said one official was injured in the confrontation. The new violence comes after China flooded the Tibetan plateau with thousands of armed police in the past three weeks to put down growing protests against Chinese rule and to arrest those involved. The protests, which the Chinese say were instigated by the Dalai Lama, began in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on March 10. They erupted into rioting there on March 14 in which at least 22 people were killed. "The latest protests have been sparked by previous reports of brutality by Chinese authorities in Tibet and Tibetan areas," said Matt Whitticase of the London-based Free Tibet Campaign, who heard similar accounts of Thursday's incident from two independent sources. The current crackdown, he said, "will only spark further protests and fuel the deep resentments felt by Tibetans toward Chinese authorities and their repressive rule." According to Whitticase and two other reports from groups outside Tibet, Chinese officials went to the Tonkhor monastery Wednesday to inform the senior monk of the start of a "patriotic education" campaign, which would require the monks to denounce the Dalai Lama and condemn the recent anti-government protests. The monk, Lobsang Jamyang, refused to allow the officials into the monastery and told the other monks he would refuse to denounce the Dalai Lama. The next day, more than 1,000 armed police surrounded and searched the monastery, according to the Free Tibet Campaign. They confiscated several cell phones and destroyed pictures of the Dalai Lama. Two monks, ages 74 and 26, were arrested when they attempted to stop police from destroying the photos, according to the exile radio network Voice of Tibet. Incensed by the detentions, about 400 laypeople joined the monastery's 370 monks in a protest demanding the two be released. Police said they would release the two monks by 8 p.m., but then reneged. The protesters attempted to march to the town's government offices, but were blocked by armed police. As the confrontation escalated, police opened fire, according to the reports. None of the reports could be independently verified. Calls to the local government offices were not answered. The local police duty officer declined to answer questions. Read all comments | MORE STORIES IN World Vodka maker sorry for showing Texas as part Mexico Blast hits housing complex where Americans live in Yemen Zimbabwe's ruling party demands vote recount Clashes greet Olympic torch's journey in London (w/video) Britain's Prince Philip released from hospital Rocket attacks kill 3 U.S. service members in Iraq Border town holds strong for Israel TopJobs Search All Jobs

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